Author Archives: fcapoffice

Dear FCAP Friends,

Isn’t it wonderful when the Lord uses something to speak to you, lift you up, and encourage you?

In the middle of a hectic day, just when you least expect it, sometimes God drops down reminders like raindrops –

You are loved. You are safe in his hand. He cares for you and all the burdens you carry. He listens.

He is with you.

Personally, the ministry here at FCAP is a huge encouragement to me!

The wonderful folks on staff and in the leadership groups are the heartbeat of the whole fellowship,

   And it trickles down to every branch of our connected members all over God’s green earth.

As you know, our goal is to connect Christians in the aviation industry together to create space for meaningful relationships to thrive.

We’re so excited to see the number of responses and reactions we’ve received lately with the new direction our social media has headed in –

By God’s grace, our reach is increasing and more people are viewing our posts.

Hopefully this means they are being inspired and encouraged when they see something from FCAP on their screens.

Picture this: You’re reading one of our FCAP Facebook updates during a moment of down time at work.

It brings a smile to your face to see what’s happening with other Christians in the ministry.

Perhaps your normal instinct would be to keep scrolling and continue reading the rest of the news.

But this time, what if you tap “Share”, and share it to your newsfeed or stories?

The inspiring FCAP post is now reaching your Facebook friends.

You are part of a ripple effect of encouragement that someone may have desperately needed that day.

 

Or what if you’re on Instagram, enjoying photos of all the things you love to follow,

when a scripture verse post from our FCAP page hits you right in the feelings, exactly what you needed to hear?

Instead of zooming onwards to the next cute puppy picture or artsy shot of your friend’s sandwich,

What if you leave a comment and type out a friend’s Instagram username, tagging them so they see it too?

You may have just turned their whole day around!

Everyone loves it when someone says “this made me think of you”.

Knowing we are in one another’s thoughts is heartwarming.

When you simply click the “like” button on one of our FCAP posts, it can boost our post higher on Facebook or Instagram’s mysterious algorithms, so more people are able to see it.

It takes less than a second to be part of an influence for good in someone’s life.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25

The very best way of all to share FCAP with the people in your world is through a face-to-face invitation.

Tell them about how FCAP has affected you personally. How has your life been changed for the better because of the

Fellowship of Christian Aviation Personnel?

Thank you for reading this note! It is such a blessing to be able to share my thoughts with you and all the other “FCAP’ers”.

Consider this as me sending you a virtual hug! 😊

May God bless you richly as you go about your day today!

To Him be the glory, now and forever.

-Julia Arambam, FCAP Social Media Manager

 

(Pictured in photo above l-r:  Warren Milanowski, Barbara James, Dawn Logan and Son, and Doug Human)

 

Who doesn’t enjoy good food and fellowship?

Airport personnel in Boise had opportunity to do just that at the barbeque outreach on September 22 sponsored by the Boise Airport Chapel.  Three guests at the event were a special blessing — Dawn Logan and her son and Barbara James.  Dawn and her son recently lost their husband and father, Robert, to Covid.  Robert was a very respected TSA employee at the airport.  Barbara, a United Air Lines employee based in Newark, traveled all the way to Boise to be a part of this event.

We envision a fortress as a protective place of refuge where one goes to find shelter and rest. Also we see it as a place where we find help in time of need… when life’s situations bring anxiety and when fear seem to silence us (Psalm 94:17-19). People often have a place (like a fortress or refuge) where they go to seek rest. For some it’s their home or it may be a special place where they go and relax on a holiday break. In the book of Psalms we are told that the Lord is our fortress, a place of refuge. It does not speak about running to a place to find Him. Instead we are told that in whatever place of difficulty we find ourselves, we can run to Him to find refuge and strength to sustain us (Psalm 94:22). During your workday, when things become difficult and anxiety and fear multiply, where do you run for help? The first place should be the Lord our refuge.  PMC   Consider: “On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us”  (Psalm 62:7-8).

This thought is written by Paul M. Curtas, General Director of FCAP.

FIVE SMOOTH STONES
September 2021

God gave David five smooth stones for his battle with Goliath.  God equips us, so to speak, with five stones to handle obstacles and challenges in our lives.  In 1 Samuel 17, we discover Goliath stood over nine feet tall, was arrayed in armor and taunted the armies of Israel.  He was big, skillful, and intimidating.  No one stood up to him, except David.

King Saul tried to place his armor on David, but that did not work.  After trying on Saul’s armor, David said:  “ ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”  1 Samuel 17:38-39 NIV

David decided to use what God had already given him.  He grabbed his shepherd’s staff, a tool he was accustomed to using, and David confidently headed out to battle.  On the way, he chose five smooth stones from the brook.  He courageously approached Goliath and killed him with his very first stone. David’s faith was born out of his experience of God’s grace and mercy in his life up to that point.  The Lord had delivered him out of many dangerous situations in the past, proving God’s power, trustworthiness, and faithfulness.  David relied on God, not his own strength, to deliver him from Goliath.

Preparedness

David has taught us a lesson in preparedness.  He went into battle with the five stones.  His plan was to kill Goliath with the first stone, but he was prepared if he needed a second or third one. The depth of our maturity in God prepares us to slay our giants.  Each person has one or more giants.  Our personal giants may be pain, physical ailments, loneliness, financial burden, social media, substance abuse, anxiety, relational struggles, and the list goes on.  Your Goliath is real!

Christ promises us that at some point in life we can expect highs and lows (John 16:33).  If we are adequately prepared by being in a close relationship with God, He will see us through.  Our job is to focus on what God has to say about the giant and not to focus on the giant itself.

Have you ever wondered why David picked up smooth stones?  Jagged stones might have hurt Goliath more.  But smooth stones are only that way because they have been tumbled over time and their rough edges have been made smooth.  They are an instrument of God’s provisions.  Perhaps David also knew that smooth stones would work best in his sling.

Smooth stones take years to form.  Refining is never easy.  It is necessary.  Being mature in the Lord through a refining process is vital if we are going to impact culture and bring personal and corporate victory. When we stay yielded to our Lord and allow Him to smooth out the rough areas in our lives, we will be ready to partner with Him when our Goliath stands in front of us.

What is your Goliath?  It is suggested that you always have five stones ready for your battle.  We need to have the same five stones that David had in his pouch that represent what David carried in his heart:

Faith
Trust
Courage
Obedience
Praise

 With those five stones, we can win any battle.  One stone at a time.  Glory to God for His faithfulness.  LHN

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”       John 16:33                                                                             

This article was written by LeeAnn Hurrle Nelson. LeeAnn is a retired Delta Flight Attendant and also serves on our FCAP Board of Directors.

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Do you ever wonder how God brings His people together and uses fellowship in our lives?  Here are some thoughts from  Randy Bukowski (retired Delta Flight Attendant and former FCAP Board member living in Seattle) and Sung Chun (Pilot with Horizon living in Anchorage). 

From Randy…
“Since retiring from the airline industry fourteen years ago, I haven’t been as active as I once was in FCAP. There are a few local FCAP’ers that I do touch base with here in the Seattle area, and I try to keep tabs on current FCAP events and airline news, but I’m a bit “out of the loop”.  Our God works in mysterious ways though and opens doors, or provides opportunities, when we least expect them.  So I was pleasantly surprised when Sung Chun, a pilot for Horizon, reached out to me and asked if we could meet.  Since our first meeting and lunch in December of 2018, we have had many meals together, praying for each other, encouraging and challenging each other.  (One way we challenge each other to stretch and grow is to try something new in foods so each time we meet, we take turns picking the restaurant where we will eat. I’ve sampled foods I would have never tried on my own!)

I know all too well how Sung feels as he commutes from Anchorage, leaving his family and home, to spend time alone in a crash-pad. I did my fair share of commuting to New York and Atlanta.  As Sung and I have gotten to know each other better, he has been able to meet my family and attend church with us.  Even though I haven’t met his wife and two young sons, I feel like I know them already, and look forward to meeting them too.” 

From Sung…
“My previous employer filed chapter 11 and I was forced to move out of my comfort zone. However, by God’s grace, I was able to find a job with Horizon Air right away and learning to spend time by myself while working and commuting away from home  I was wondering if there were any FCAP people in the Seattle area and asked for any information. Edward Church gave me several contacts, and I reached out to FCAP brothers. This is how I was able to meet Randy. When I met Randy for the first time, it was the first time to try Indian food.  Since then Randy and I are trying different foods when we are meeting. I also was able to meet Art, Steve, and Karl thru Randy’s surprise meeting. I feel like it is God’s blessing be able to meet with God-trusting brothers and sisters while away from home,  and It gives me a reason to look forward to my commute to Seattle other than for work.” 

Pictured in photo above l-r:  Sung Chun at their first lunch 12/13/2018 at East India Grill Buffet and Randy Bukowski at their most recent lunch 8/29/2021 enjoying Bahn mi, Vietnamese sandwiches.